Studying the Bible, with others or alone, is rewarding, not boring!
The Bible is not Boring!
If you’ve never read or studied the Bible, the story I’m about to tell will seem outrageous. But for those who have made a habit out of studying it will totally understand and relate.
I’ve been a member of the same Bible study for almost 40 years. It’s just a group of men who bonded together many years ago and share a love of studying the Bible. But here comes the crazy part. For all of the 40 years we’ve been together, we’ve only studied one book of the Bible – the Gospel of John! How is that possible? Don’t you get bored studying the same book over and over? The answer is a resounding NO! We didn’t begin with this intention. We chose the Gospel of John because we originally started as an evangelistic outreach specifically aimed at bringing the message of Jesus to the Chief Executive Officers (the top dogs) of surrounding companies in our area. The idea was to study a gospel that would help them better understand Jesus’ message without being intimidating. Over time, the ministry moved on, but several of those who started it did not. We kept on meeting once per month, and when we got to the end of John, we started over. We figure we’ve been through that one book 20+ times in 40 years. And we never find it boring! There is always something new to discover, a new thought yet uncovered (either that or, as we age, we just forget what was said in the past!)
You may not think the Bible would offer that much content over that long a time, but it has, and it does. It’s one of the reasons why I love studying it so much – the wisdom of the very God who created us is contained within its pages! And you’ll never know until you take the time to study it. Whether you’re studying one of the 66 books contained in the Bible, or just a chapter or a verse, there’s always something there for everyone. But one of the most amazing things about the Bible is the consistency of the wisdom shared from its beginning to its end. When you consider that 40 different authors, over a span of approximately 1,600 years, are credited with having written it, the fact that it presents a consistent story throughout is nothing short of a miracle. Surely, this would only be possible if a singular, caring God were behind the messaging.
Proof of the depth of wisdom contained in each verse
Sometimes, I like to prove this point to myself by blending verses from one part of scripture with another to gain an even richer understanding of God’s message to us. To me, the fact that this can be done with the words of different authors only helps substantiate that there was a common author putting out the message – God.
Let me show you what I mean. Last month, I shared some insight into my favorite psalm, #139, written by King David. In this blog, I’d like to combine some of the wisdom of King David with that of the prophet, Jeremiah (who lived ~400 years after King David). Perhaps you’re familiar with this verse. Jeremiah is quoting the words of God as spoken to him:
“I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NCV)
Many take comfort in these words because they tell us that God has “good plans” for us – to give us “hope and a good future.” But, if we recall the words of King David in Psalm 139, we can add the assurance that God is not just creating these plans for a stranger, but for someone He knows intimately and cares for deeply. With deep respect for the holiness of God’s word, allow me to combine these two sections of scripture into a merged thought:
“I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord God, because I know you. “All the days planned for (you) were written in your (own special) book (kept in heaven where everything is recorded about your entire life) before (you were even) one day old!” (Psalm 139:16b) As your loving God, I “know (all your) anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23) Take comfort in knowing that I “have good plans for (you), not plans to hurt (you),” because I want so much to “give (you) hope and a good future.”
Isn’t that an awesome thought? Jeremiah 29:11 starts with the bold statement, “I know what I am planning for you!” When we combine that with God’s claim in Psalms 139 that “All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old,” we see just how involved God is in our lives! God knows what He has planned for us every single day that we breathe! He has it all written down in the very best scrapbook ever done for anyone – not one moment of your life is missed! He is always there with us when we have “anxious thoughts” about what is happening in our lives (especially about that which we do not understand). Yet each and every thought we have is known “before I think them.” (Psalm 139:2) THAT is how close God is to us! God “know(s) where I go and where I lie down.” (Psalm 139:3) God “know(s) everything I do.” (Psalm 139:3) And, because of this, only God can “have good plans for (me).” He knows just what I need, and when I need it!
By combining the wisdom of two sections of scripture, we can begin to see and understand so much more! I hope this blessed you!
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